Inside The Hatake Compound
by Brydums
Summary: when Naruto turns up late, injured and downcast to training after a beating from the villagers, Sakura yells at him and Kakashi takes him home to rest, what will unfold? set pre wave ark slight AU if you squint. T because i'm paranoid. summary sux.


**Hello everybody! This is an idea I came up with at 10 30 one night while messing around with a fake bandage I got at a festival last year. I'm not sure if this will be a chapter story or not, as normally I wouldn't be able to keep up three at once, but hurry the holidays are here! Sorry for the rambling author's note, but as my family know, I am a rambler, (looks pointedly at Lee) so as I have nine weeks of writing time if my reviews are nice enough there may be more chapters!**

**i realize at this point Shikamaru was not a chunnin but that's the AU part, he needs to be cus what he says is only effective because it comes from a friend.**

**Enjoy!**

_Summary: Naruto turns up to training looking drained and unhappy, with an old bandage wrapped around his wrist and lower left arm. Set pre wave ark, post academy. Possibly AU but not really, just a longer gap before the wave ark._

"YOU'RE LATE!" screamed Sasuke and Sakura at the sound of footsteps behind them, and turned to see not their sensei, but Naruto.

"Ugh dobe why couldn't you have been Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke complained, turning back to what he was reading. Naruto didn't even reply or move over to the other two, not attempting to put up his happy mask, he sank groaning to the floor. Sakura noticed the way he didn't use his left arm and assumed it to be broken, so she proceeded to yell at him.

"Naruto, I can't believe you've got yourself injured again! Now you're useless! You're such a baka Naruto! Did you not even think to be careful, huh? So go on, what did you do this time?" Naruto just sunk further into himself, starring at the floor.

"Naruto! I actually cannot believe you! You let down THE WHOLE TEAM, you turn up late, even more useless than usual and you won't even answer me? You're a disgrace-"

She was cut off by Kakashi arriving and standing in front of her, looking furious. He spoke so quietly it was scarier than if he had yelled.

"Sakura, you have no right to treat Naruto the way you do, and quite frankly you and Sasuke are the disgrace." At the mention of his name, the Uchiha put away his book and came over. "You need to leave Naruto alone; you treat him like dirt, when he is the bravest person in this whole village. He has experienced more pain in his life than it is possible for even me to fathom, yes Sasuke more than you. Last night was a bad experience for Naruto, look at him," Naruto was still on the floor, starring abysmally into the distance. "we are lucky he is even alive."

Kakashi turned back to his students. "It has been determined that because of the treatment you give Naruto and because of his need to be trained in taijutsu in order to protect himself from attacks, you two shall be going on missions by yourself under the command of a trusted chunnin while I train Naruto."

At this point Shikamaru turned up, jumping down from a nearby tree to land behind Kakashi, he continued the jonin's speech.

"I am now in charge of you two, and quite frankly, after my briefing I was appalled. Even Ino treats him better than you two, no wonder he's been having difficulties." It was a rare thing for the lazy nin to be so openly emotional, so Sasuke and Sakura bowed their heads in shame.

"On some occasions you will be required to help Naruto train, but other than that you won't be together."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura gently asked "What happened to him? Not just last night but in the past."

"That is for him to tell you, if you can gain his trust, which is something I wouldn't give you in his position, but even with the life he's had, he is an amazingly forgiving person." Sasuke and Sakura nodded.

"Right then you two, let's get going." Announced Shikamaru before leaping up into a tree, followed closely by his two subjects.

Kakashi sighed before walking over to Naruto. He sat on the floor next to him, and the blond leaned into his protector, seeking comfort as he began to sob. Kakashi put his arms around him and hugged him closely, running his fingers through the blond spikes.

He recalled what had happened last night:

_He had been trailing Naruto as he ambled aimlessly across acres of forest, going mainly in seemingly random circles that Kakashi knew to be routes Naruto frequented._

_He hadn't actually been required to follow and protect Naruto for a long time now, but since the bouncing hyperactive boy had become his student he had felt a compelling need to be close to him. He knew this was wrong, so he told himself he was a protector, mentor, sensei, and used this was an excuse to trail the boy._

_He had expected another uneventful night, not that his bored him; he loved to watch Naruto sleep, where his dreams made his smile easy and real. But not tonight. _

_As Naruto headed through the dark backstreet alleyways that led to his shambles of an apartment, (Which Kakashi had had refurbished recently, as he knew Naruto would be reluctant to move) a mostly drunk and rather angry mob began tailing him. Tired and outnumbered as he was, his only choice was to run. He was forced into a dead end of a mercifully wide alleyway._

_When they attacked Kakashi had intervened, defending Naruto, who was too preoccupied to ask why he was there. At this point the sober villagers left, leaving the drunkards. They were fought off relatively easily, as most of them ran like the wind when they realized who Kakashi was._

_At this point Naruto fainted and Kakashi carried him home, placing him carefully in his bed before moving to his customary spot on the roof. _

_About three hours later and they attacked again, breaking into Naruto's apartment and dragging him out onto the streets while Kakashi was asleep at home._

_About an hour after that and the silver haired jonin went to check on his chare, only to find him lying unconscious on the floor, with the words_** MONSTER**_ cut into his left forearm. Kakashi took him back to his apartment and woke him up to check for other injuries._

_At this point a stone hit the window. They both knew what this was. 'Why won't they leave him alone tonight?' Kakashi thought as he went over to the window. He opened it and yelled for all the world to hear._

"_YOU WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO KNOW WHY NARUTO ISN'T STILL IN THE STREETS, UNCONCIOUS. THIS IS BECAUSE __**HE IS PROTECTED!**__ BY ME, HATAKE KAKASHI, THE COPY NIN! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!"_

_He turned back to find Naruto nursing bloody knuckles. He had punched a wall._

Naruto had stopped crying, but was still clinging on to Kakashi. So the jonin scoped his student up in his arms and sunshined them as close as he could the Hatake compound.

"Let's not train today Naruto, you need to rest." Naruto was happy to be given the chance to rest, but wondered where Kakashi would take him, his own run-down apartment was impossible to rest in. but Naruto just went along with it, trusting Kakashi.

He carried Naruto over to the sofa and layed him down, fetching a blanket and sitting down himself.

Naruto rolled over so his head was resting in Kakashi's lap, seeking comfort from the wiser man.

"Kakashi-sensei?" he mumbled.

"Yes Naruto?" Kakashi answered, curious.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Well then another question."

"I don't see why not."

"Well. . .it's erm. . .a bit personal. . ."

"I don't mind." _'this could be interesting'_ Kakashi thought.

"Like really personal."

Kakashi chuckled, "Naruto, you're in my house, lying with your head in, my lap, last night I yelled to the world that I was your protector, and today I seriously told off your teammates for how they behaved towards you, and told them how I think you're the bravest person I know. I know everything there is to know about you, so I think at this point you can ask me anything."

"Well don't say I didn't warn you."

"I wont."

"Erm. . . . Kakashi-sensei. . . .are you. . . erm. . . gay?" he said the final word so quietly only Kakashi's ears would be able to pick it up.

To Naruto's emense surprise Kakashi didn't stiffen and demand to know what on earth possessed Naruto to think he could ask that of a sensei.

No.

Instead Kakashi laughed gently, and continued stroking Naruto's curls.

"If I say I am are you going to run away? Cus if you are then no."

"No I'm not gunna run away."

"Then yes."

"Cool." Naruto left this hanging as if he was about to say something else.

"Why do you ask?" the jonin's mind was racing, he thought this was probably a little over the top, but he asked anyway.

"Sensei, could. . . you erm help me out with something then?"

"Of course Naruto, what's bothering you?" Kakashi was actually jumping with joy inside at the prospect of Naruto being gay.

"Well, there's this guy. . . and I really. . . um like him um. . . nut I know I shouldn't. . .because he can never feel the same way. . . and I really shoulfnt have a crush on him."

"Naruto you never shouldn't have a crush on anyone at your age, even if it was the old third Hokage it would be fine at your age." Naruto smiled at this.

"Well. . .um. . .Kakashi?"

"Yes Naruto?"

"What if. . .hypothetically" _'where did he learn the word hypothetically?_' "I was going to see him every day, and. . .and. . .and. . .and all I want. . .to do. . .is. . . is. . .jump him but I cant?"

Kakashi's mind was dying of joy here, the most likely candidate for this person was him.

"Why can't you?"

"Because he would hate me for it."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know there's no way he can like me back."

"Why can't he?"

"Be. . .because. . . because hes. . . because. . . he's. . . an. . . . adult."

Kakashi gasped. So it was him.

"Well I can asure you, being an adult won't stop him liking you, especially if that hypothetical situation was not hypothetical at all?"

"Well. . . maybe not quite. . . so made-up. . ."

"Naruto?"

"Yes"

"How would you react if this person kissed you right now?"

An extremely hopeful Naruto turned to look at his sensei,

"I would love it."

"Good, cus I'm not sure he can restrain himself much longer."

At this Kakashi bent down and pressed his lips gently to Naruto's, cupping his face. Naruto responded, kissing back. It was a tender kiss, full of love and caring.

When Kakashi pulled back, both were smiling.

"Now Naruto, you really should rest, we need to begin training tomorrow." Naruto nodded, and promptly fell asleep on his sensei's lap.


End file.
